Improving pre-surgery information with a digital information system : A qualitative case study

Abstract: In today’s society, much information is utilized and distributed through information and communication technology. However, even though IT or ICT has been introduced in the healthcare sector, paper documents are still in use. Studies show that this may create an inefficient healthcare, something pre-surgical medical personnel at a medical clinic in the southern part of Sweden, are well aware of.Their problem is that an increasing number of surgical procedures are cancelled as patients fail to comply with pre-surgery information; the information provided to patients before having surgery. Pre-surgical medical personnel believe that the root to this problem comes from the way patients are given access to the information itself. Currently, this is limited to paper document, a solution that worked in the past. However, a more diverse clientele has resulted in a greater need for information access and paper documents simply cannot support this in an effective manner.Pre-surgical medical personnel believe this could be improved if the information was also made accessible through an information system. And so, the focus of the master thesis was to explore the pre-surgical medical personnel’s perception on the requirements, usage and impact of a new IS that could, subsequently, generate improvements in the accessibility and understandability of pre-surgery information.The problematic situation was approached with an interpretative qualitative case study were data was collected through three different methods so that triangulation could take place. The master thesis then utilized a modified version of the Delone and McLean’s information system success model and a content analysis to approach, analyse and discuss the collected data.The findings of this analysis revealed that pre-surgical medical personnel perceived an information system where the technology used to support it, was less significant than the information system’s ability to provide patients with equal access to pre-surgery information. The analysis also revealed that the information system must be capable of presenting information as both text and narrated video, as well as in a language chosen by the patient. Lastly, the perceived effect of the information systems implementation and usage was a substantial reduction in the number of surgeries that were cancelled.